Mama

By Rachel Lynn McGuire

This chapbook is a collection of poems on parenthood written by a polyamorous mother of five and published during a global pandemic. Mama is an honest portrait of the author trying to settle on her values and live them out in a way that uplifts her children and prepares them for this dangerous world. Rachel Lynn McGuire grieves her loss, grapples with her own feelings of rage and resentment, and lingers with the moments where love flows freely.

The content in this collection contains expletives, discussions of miscarriages, and discussions of violence.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rachel Lynn McGuire
• Release date: Feb 6, 2021
• ISBN: 9781736644416

Rachel Lynn McGuire

Rachel Lynn McGuire is a queer, polyamorous artist living in Richmond, Virginia with her husband, her partner, and their 5 kids. She mostly writes poetry and spoken word, but she dabbles in fiction, song-writing, ukulele, visual art, sewing, and book-making. She often writes about difficult topics such as sexual violence, suicidality, miscarriage, and chronic illness, but she doesn't neglect uplifting topics like resilience, body positivity, and sexual freedom. Rach endeavors to feel it all and portray it honestly. Oh, and of course she writes love poetry, too. After all, she falls in love with everyone.

Book preview

MAMA

Copyright 2020 Rachel Lynn McGuire

Contents

The Crucifixion

September 2020

The Ocean and The Moon

More Than I Love You

Gigantic God

For Newtown

Like a Python

Abel Meeropol

Robert Henri and Me

The Baby Fever

I’m Your Mother

Consumption

When I Have the Urge to Harm Them

Just Some of the Ways I Love my Kids that They Don’t Notice

Hands Wide Open

Gentle

One True Madonna

Step-Mother

Two Golden Shovels For Gwendolyn Brooks

The Children Know of Sickness

The Wishes of My Children

Spare My Daughter

Alan Kurdi

Rikia Young, Philadelphia Police, and Family Separation

I Forgot To Hold You Today

Hands As Soft

Sunday Snuggles

Fruit

Laughter

Volcano

Cathedral

About The Author

The Crucifixion

Mothers are more than women

more than individuals

Their Love is deeper

Their Joy is fuller

and their grief…

their grief is endless

If it is our emotions

that separate us from the animals -

if it is our capacity for compassion

that makes us human -

then surely mothers are the most human

or perhaps they are beyond human

because a mother’s emotions are

beyond her control

her compassion is beyond the bounds of her